Collection Contents

Box Boxes 1-4

Series I:
Administrative
records, 1939-1999

Physical Description:
45 folders in 4 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This series contains records of the California
First Theatre State Historic Monument and State Parks documentation of
visitors, production attendance, weather, and historical collections
provenance. In addition, this series contains one of the significant
documents in the building's history, the original bill of sale for the land to
Jack Swan, signed by both Swan and Marcelino Escobar, Alcalde of
Monterey, 1844, and a reproduction of the abstract of title. An interesting
anecdote by Swan, "My Old Spectacles," in autograph, is also in this
series.

Box 1, Folder 1-16

Warden's weekly report

Box 1, Folder 1

1937

Box 1, Folder 2

1938

Box 1, Folder 3

1939

Box 1, Folder 4

1940

Box 1, Folder 5

1941

Box 1, Folder 6

1942

Box 1, Folder 7

1943

Box 1, Folder 8

1944

Box 1, Folder 9

1945

Box 1, Folder 10

1946

Box 1, Folder 11

1947

Box 1, Folder 12

1948

Box 1, Folder 13

1949

Box 1, Folder 14

1950

Box 1, Folder 15

1951

Box 1, Folder 16

1952

Box 2, Folder 1-14

Supervisor's weekly report

Box 2, Folder 1

1953

Box 2, Folder 2

1954

Box 2, Folder 3

1955

Box 2, Folder 4

1956

Box 2, Folder 5

1957

Box 2, Folder 6

1958

Box 2, Folder 7

1959

Box 2, Folder 8

1960

Box 2, Folder 9

1961

Box 2, Folder 10

1962

Box 2, Folder 11

1963

Box 2, Folder 12

1964

Box 2, Folder 13

1965

Box 2, Folder 14

1966

Box 3, Folder 1-8

Supervisor's weekly report

Box 3, Folder 1

1974

Box 3, Folder 2

1975

Box 3, Folder 3

1976

Box 3, Folder 4

1977

Box 3, Folder 5

1978

Box 3, Folder 6

1979

Box 3, Folder 7

1980

Box 3, Folder 8

1981

Box 4, Folder 1

Abstract of Title (reproduction).

Box 4, Folder 2

Original bill of sale for land to Jack Swan,
1844.

Box 4, Folder 3

Manuscript essay by Swan, "My Old Spectacles,"
1874.

Box 4, Folder 4

Gift agreements and loan documentation.

Box 4, Folder 5

List of First Theatre productions under Denny-Watrous
Management, 1937-1959.

Box 4, Folder 6

List of First Theatre productions, 1937-1962, prepared by Vera Stewart.

Scope and Content:
This small series
highlights correspondence related to the California First Theatre, in
particular
that related to gifts received as part of the historical
collections.

Box 5, Folder 1

Correspondence - Isabel Hartigan with Lucille Lane,
1948.

Box 5, Folder 2

Gift Correspondence, 1958.

Box Box 5

Series III:
Ephemera, 1880-1972

Physical Description:
14 folders in 1/2 box

Scope and Content Note

Scope and Content:
This series contains
ephemeral items such as performance programs and tickets from the
California
First Theatre, and other interesting theatrical and festival
memorabilia from San Francisco, Monterey, and
Chicago.

Subseries i:
First
Theatre ephemera,
1944-1972

Physical Description:
(5 folders)

Scope and Content Note

This subseries contains only California First
Theatre-related ephemera.

Box 5, Folder 3

Hand-written song lyrics for two songs, n.d.:
All for a Woman's Love, The Black
Sheep Loves You Best of All.

Box 5, Folder 4-6

Performance programs

Box 5, Folder 4

1944,
1959

Box 5, Folder 5

1960-1962

Box 5, Folder 6

1963-1972

Box 5, Folder 7

Performance ticket from
"The
Unkissed Bride"

Subseries ii:
Non-First
Theatre ephemera,
1880-1962

Physical Description:
(9 folders)

Scope and Content Note

This series contains a number of interesting ephemeral
items from other
performance houses and entertainment venues

43 cartes de visite and cabinet card photographs,
various subjects, including late 19th century theatrical personalities
in
San Francisco, along with various San Francisco views such as interior
views of the Palace Hotel, Mark Hopkins mansion, Stanford mansion, and
other California and non-California locales.

Box 14, Group 2

Stereopticon cards

Scope and Content Note

55 stereopticon cards, various views, including
Yosemite Valley and other California locations, European and Asian
landmarks.

Box 15, Group 3

More stereopticon cards

Scope and Content Note

74 stereopticon cards, various views, including
Yosemite Valley and other California locations and non-California
locations,
European and Asian landmarks.

Box Box 16

Series VII:
Publicity, 1874-1965

Physical Description:
12 folders in 1 box

Scope and Content Note

This series contains periodicals, some containing
articles related to the California First
Theatre, others with articles relating to Monterey in general.

Arranged alphabetically by title of publication and then
chronologically if more than one issue.

Box Box 16, section 1

Subseries i:
First
Theatre-related publications,
1937-1962

Physical Description:
(2 folders)

Scope and Content Note

This subseries contains multiple copies of an
article about the reopening of the California First Theatre and a
selection of newsclippings.

Box 16, Folder 1

Californian, The. V:29.
August 11,1937

Physical Description:
Six
copies.

Box 16, Folder 2

Assorted newsclippings, 1937-1962.

Physical Description:
10 items.

Box Box 16, section 2

Subseries ii:
Non-First
Theatre-related publications,
1874-1965

Physical Description:
(9 folders)

Scope and Content Note

Publications in this subseries do not contain any
articles that mention the California First Theatre and were likely used
as props.

"The Mid-Spring Stage - A Season Still Active."
New York Times, The.
Sunday, May 13, 1928.

Box 16, Folder 9

Noticias del Puerto de
Monterey
. XIII:4. December
1969.
Monterey: Monterey History and Art Association.
Saludos amigos! City of Monterey: Office of the Mayor.
n.d.

Box 16, Folder 10

Rambler, The. I:8,
March 1936.

Box 16, Folder 11

Theatre World. Vols.
II-V. 1945-46 -
1949-50.

Box 16, Folder 12

Women's City Club
Magazine
. I:9 October 1927.
San Francisco:
Women's City Club.

Box Boxes 17-18

Series VIII:
Scrapbooks, 1870-1960

Physical Description:
10 items in 2 boxes

Scope and Content Note

This series contains scrapbooks of accumulated
news clippings and theatrical advertisements from
New York City, Boston, Chicago and San Francisco from the late 19th and
early 20th centuries, along with a scrapbook of California First
Theatre playbills from 1938-1960.

Box 17, scrapbook 1

455-63-6 FT
Scrapbook of various New York theatrical
advertisements and announcements, 1889 -
1899,
including the Metropolitan Opera House and other prominent 19th century
performance houses.

Box 17, scrapbook 2

455-97-6 FT
Scrapbook of California First Theatre playbills from
1938-1960, incl. handwritten list
of productions on rear pages through 1963 and typewritten list through 1965.

Box 18

Empty scrapbook covers

Physical Description:
3
items

Box 18, scrapbook 4

Scrapbook remnants of few pages and no covers
chronicling the history of the California First Theatre, productions
and
restoration (no dates).

Physical Description:
(2
items)

Box 18, book 5

455-63-2 FT
Scrapbook of song lyrics, newsclippings,
advertisements and envelope of playbills from San Francisco performance
houses,
1894 - 1898.

Series IX:
Scripts,
Scores,
Musical Instruction and Part Books, 1855-1943

Physical Description:
11 folders in 1 box

Scope and Content Note

This series contains an
assortment of play scripts, musical scores, and music instruction books
with dates ranging from 1855 to 1943. Approximately half of the items
date before 1900. It is possible that some of the musical selections in
these books were used for the Olio performances after the plays
presented
at the Theatre.